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Julie Picarello

After dabbling in a wide variety of media over the years, Julie was introduced to polymer clay in 2004 and found she was more passionate about it than any other medium she had previously worked with. She became intrigued and completely focused on what she calls “Imprint Mokume Gane”, an adaptation of an ancient Japanese metalworking technique that lends itself well to polymer clay. Julie showcases the sophisticated depth and dimension of polymer with her custom color palettes, contrasting textures and her use of hardware and found objects. Her award-winning beads are often elegant, sometimes whimsical, but always unique.

While Julie’s finished beads appear complex, her techniques are surprisingly simple to learn. As an instructor, Julie’s goal is to inspire her students to develop their own creativity with this amazingly versatile medium. She is the author of “Patterns in Polymer: Imprint and Accent Bead Techniques” available from Kalmbach Books.